By Brooke Stevenson
brooke@seymourherald.com
    The Seymour branch of the Sevier County Public Library System has several programs to encourage young people to read, but these programs are being under utilized.
    SCPLS Seymour Branch Manager Tony Krug said that the library holds several programs throughout each month to bring in reluctant readers, but participation numbers have been low.
    One of these programs is call Reel Books and will be held at 1 p.m. this Saturday with a screening of “Girl Interrupted” based on Susanna Kaysenh’s book of the same title.
    “It is a program that looks into books that have been made into movies,” Krug said. “More specifically we watch the movie and discuss how the movie differs from the book and possibly other movies and books along the same lines.”
    The program is held the third Saturday of every month, and if the month happens to have five Saturdays then a film festival is held where three films will be screened.
    “We have selected the movies and books to be of interest to teenagers that are high school aged,” Krug said. “A number of studies have shown that teens can be reluctant readers.
    “One way to entice reluctant readers is if they see a good movie and they find out that there is a book to go with it. That could be the beginning of better reading habits for them.”
     The program has only been in place since January when Harry Potter was screened and seven teenagers attended.
     “It would be ideal for the kids to read the books before they come to the Reel Book program,” Krug said. “It is our goal to get kids to start reading more.”
     The library also has a video game program to help boost teen reading, but participation has been lack luster.
     “We are falling low below expectations,” he said. “We are really looking for a boost as far as participation.
     “Our programs are a little bit underutilized.”
     He added that the connection is finding ways to draw in potentially reluctant readers and find incentives to get them accustomed to reading.
     “We really need more participation,” Krug said.
    The library also holds story times on Mondays, computer classes on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and storybook journeys on Saturday afternoons.
    For more information about these programs go to the library’s calendar at seviercountytn.org.

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